Three days in Denver focused exclusively on the culinary training that sets your company apart from competition through food. We learned from world-class caterers in a unique and intimate setting and sampled, tasted and experienced food at every step along the way!
PREPARE Give your menus a boost from catering experts
• Create bold, marketable flavors
• Find out the secret to spicing for savory and sweet dishes – as well as mixology
• Experience new ideas for serving passed breakfast and short plates, then eat the contents of your findings
• Expand your culinary repertoire with new choices for sustainable fish, practical specifics on how to prepare newly fabricated cuts of beef, and ideas for Asian and South American street food
• Explore inventive preparations for classic catering fare, such as barbecue and tailgate menus, chicken and poultry, and stunning sweets to set off your meal
PRESENT Flaunt your flavors with innovative ways to display your food
• Participate in a plating competition and enjoy a hands-on lesson, followed by a delicious meal prepared by attendees
• Experience the latest in interactive action stations and food-focused demonstrations that you can sell to clients
• Attend the Skin &€ˆBones event on Monday and see the latest in Denver’s farm-fresh dining scene
PERFORM Manage the back of the house efficiently and effectively
• Discover how to partner with your sales team, so they sell the food you most want to prepare
• Get suggestions for pricing your menu accurately and competitively – at every session
• Learn to train your kitchen staff effectively for on- and off-premise venues
• Gather techniques for effectively using excess product at an event to save time and money
• Take the stress out of client tastings with new ideas of how to keep tasting events fun, productive and profitable
MONDAY
Extra, Extra! See the Latest Food and Presentation Trends 9:15am – 10:00 am
Arjan de Boer, Editor, Food Inspiration Magazine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Creating Signature Hors d’oeuvre 10:05am – 10:35am
Mark Gagnon, Divisional Executive Chef, STARR Restaurants Catering Group, Philadelphia, PA
Much Ado About Chicken and Other Poultry 10:45am – 11:30am
Kathleen Hoffman, Executive Chef, Checkers Catering & Special Events, Livermore, CA
LUNCH+LEARN
Two Methods for Field Kitchen Hot Line Plate-ups 11:30am – 12:45pm
ICA Culinary Council
No Pastry Chef, No Worries 12:45pm – 1:30pm
Mary Crafts, CEO & President, and Jocelyn Ball, Executive Pastry Chef, Culinary Crafts, Salt Lake City, UT
Spice It Up: The Art of Blending and Using Unique Spices 1:30pm – 2:15pm
Lior Lev Sercarz, Owner, La Boîteá½°a Epice, New York, NY
Beyond Ceviche: Exploring Peruvian Cuisine 2:30pm – 3:00pm
Elgin Woodman, Executive Chef, A Joy Wallace Catering Production and Design Team, Miami, FL
What Kind of Fish is That? Sustainable Seafood Menu Choices 3:15pm – 4:00pm
Jonathan Chovancek, Chef & Proprietor, Kale and Nori Culinary Arts, Vancouver, BC
I Can’t Believe You Sold That: Bridging the Gap between Chefs and Sales Managers 4:00pm – 4:45pm
Margot Jones, Owner & Sales Manager, and Adam Gooch, Executive Chef,
Purple Onion Catering Company, Vienna, VA; Jennifer Perna, Vice President of Sales, and Paul Larson, Executive Chef,
Blue Plate Catering, Chicago, IL
All About Cheese … Anything But Cubed 4:45pm – 5:30pm
Pat Ford, Owner, Beehive Cheese, Salt Lake City, UT
Skin & Bones: Rocky Mountain Cuisine Elevated
presented by Epicurean Culinary Group
Join us for a back-to-basics view of the culinary fundamentals featuring local Colorado farms and products.
Click here to learn more about this wildly creative optional event!
TUESDAY
Breakfast … It’s Worth Getting out of Bed for! 8:15am – 9:15am
Ken Barrett, ICA Culinary Council Chairperson, Boston, MA; Karen O’Connor, ICA Culinary Council Vice Chairperson, Toronto, Canada;
Dan Smith, ICA Board of Directors, Denver, CO
Plug and Produce: 20 New Passed Appetizers to Add to Your Menus 9:15am – 10:00am
Shawn Bittman, Executive Chef, A Thyme to Cook, New London, CT; Locke Johnson, Executive Chef, Catering By Design, Philadelphia, PA; Adam Gooch, Executive Chef, Purple Onion Catering Company, Vienna, VA; Debby Stein, Proprietor, Cartewheels Catering, Kerrville, TX
Product Showcase 10:25am – 10:40am
Vietnamese Street Cuisine Hits the Party Scene 11:00am – 11:30am
Paul Larson, Executive Chef, Blue Plate Catering, Chicago, IL
Train, Train and Train Again – In Your Commissary Kitchen 11:30am – 12:15pm
Jen Delaye, CEO , The JDK Group, Camp Hill, PA
LUNCH+LEARN
Food Truck Round-up Lunch 12:15pm – 1:30pm
Action Stations: The Showpiece of Your Event 1:45pm – 2:15pm
The Culinary Crafts Team, Salt Lake City, UT: Mary Crafts, CEO and President, Marco Nicolli, Executive Chef, Ryan Crafts, Director of Catering, Kaleb Crafts, Director of Operations & Corporate Sales
The Epicurean Culinary Group Team, Denver, CO: Ted Strauch, Executive Chef, Wesley Guzman, Senior Event Designer
Tipping the Scales for Profit: How Chefs Can Affect the Bottom Line 2:15pm – 2:45pm
Carl Sacks, Director, Catersource Consulting Unit, NJ
FACILITY TOURS 3:00pm – 7:00pm
WEDNESDAY
Where’s the Beef? New Cuts of Beef, That Is! 8:30am – 9:15am
Jon Emanuel, Executive Chef, Project Angel Heart, Denver, CO
Hear-ye! Hear-ye! Let’s Talk About English Food 9:30am – 10:15am
Joanne Purnell, Chef de Cuisine, Good Gracious! Events, Los Angeles, CA
Hire Right. Hire Smart. Save Time and Money 10:15am – 10:45am
Anthony Lambatos, Owner & CEO, Footers Catering, Englewood, CO
Eat First With Your Eyes: It’s All in the Presentation 10:45am – 11:30am
Liz Cipro, Executive Chef, A Legendary Event, Atlanta, GA
Product Showcase 11:30am – Noon
LUNCH+LEARN
Culinary Round Robin 11:15am – 3:00pm
• New Beginnings: Tossing Around Options for Soups and Salads
Shawn Bittman, Executive Chef, A Thyme to Cook, New London, CT
• Going Beyond White Rice: Exploring New Grains
Locke Johnson, Executive Chef, Catering By Design, Philadelphia, PA
• It’s in Demand at Every Event: Creative Options for Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free
Adam Gooch, Executive Chef, Purple Onion Catering Company, Vienna, VA
• Bring on the Bacon: Chewing the Fat about Everyone’s Favorite Pork Product
James Messinger, Executive Chef and President, The Crazy Chefs Caterers, South Easton, MA
• One Potato, Two Potato: Digging into Potato Appetizers and Side Dishes
Jack Milan, Owner, Different Tastes, Boston, MA
• Everybody Scream for Ice Cream: A Closer Look at Everyone’s Favorite Frozen Treats
Bonnie Kravitz, Pastry Chef and Hillary Brown, Expediter, Daniel et Daniel, Toronto, Canada
Top Chef, Top Caterer 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Hosea Rosenberg, Top Chef Season 5 Winner, Owner, Blackbelly Catering, Boulder, CO
Mix &€ˆMingle 4:15pm - 5:30pm
By attending 2012 The Art of Catering Food, you will earn 24.75 Continuing Education Hours!
Monday: 8.25 hours
Tuesday: 9 hours
Wednesday: 7.5 hours
To receive your letter of creditation for this conference, please email [email protected].
